Photo by Rob Laughter on Unsplash
By Dakota Hornak, Staff Writer
Susquehanna’s Department of Theatre delighted viewers with an all-virtual production of “A Night on Broadway: Villains Cabaret” on March 27. The show featured songs of various villains in theater such as J.D. from “Heathers” and Lord Farquaad featured in “Shrek the Musical,” all brought together with the help of beautiful performances from the actors.
Originally live streamed via Youtube, one thing I most admire about the production is the creativity used to make the show engaging and flow smoothly together as if it was in-person. Each song shows a different background that matches the tone of the scene, drawing viewers deeper into the cabaret.
The interactive scenes between characters were even better, seeing actors being able to seamlessly talk and react to people not physically with them. The entire show broke the virtual barrier between the performers and the viewers.
The performers push the experience even more throughout the show, dedicating fully to the songs and their characters. One of my favorite renditions in the production is “You’ll Be Back,” sung by junior Tyler Shadle, originally seen in “Hamilton.” Not only is Shadle engaging, but his expressions and voice brought even more life to the original song. Another song I loved was “All Falls Down” from “Chaplin,” performed by senior Dalia Hamilton whose emotion and dedication to the role of Hedda made me feel like I was in front of a stage.
Hamilton, Shadle and their fellow actors create a new and mystical atmosphere in every scene and truly brought these villains to life.
The editing and production management is also something to commend, having smooth transitions and sound balance throughout the show. This helps even more with feeling as if you are viewing the performance live.
The range of villains featured and versatility of the actors also added interest for the audience. The song choices for this show came from 12 different productions of vastly different genres. Not only does this composition allow every viewer to have a song they enjoyed, but it also gave the actors an opportunity to demonstrate how well they can play multiple roles at once.
Overall, I loved watching this performance and seeing the amount of care put into the production. The characters are well-represented and the composition of the music flowed well together as a whole. Even more impressive, however, was the energy and love clearly put into making a fully virtual show come to life. Every aspect of this cabaret was well-executed and made for a very entertaining and worthwhile experience.
If you missed the theatre department’s production of “A Night on Broadway: Villains Cabaret” you can still watch it on their YouTube channel, SU Theatre.
